Help on a minor parking lot car accident?

Question

I recently was involved in a minor accident and had some questions. So I was in the parking lot and backing up and as i was i hit another persons car. The Left taillight was damaged but as far as the rest of the car it looked fine. My question is, one do we have to report this to the D.M.V and our insurance and my second is around how much would it cost if i were to pay for it out of my own pocket?

Answer 1

As far as reporting this to your DMV, you need to know if there is a money threshold at, or above which, an accident must be reported. Your DMV or State Police can advise you. Next, if there were no injuries and you are able to pay to have the other person's car fixed, that's fine. I suggest, though, getting that person to sign a "Release" for you in exchange for you paying the damages. A "receipt" is not a release and you want to be sure that the person does not come back later and say they were hurt, for example. Regarding how much it will cost to repair a tail light, only a body shop can really say. It would be to your advantage, before paying, to have the other person get (two or, ideally, three) "estimates" so you have reasonable confidence that you are not overpaying.